Remembrance
by unholyfury
Summary: 10 years after the war, Aang recounts his story after defeating Ozai. Abandoned by his friends, and constantly plagued by memories from the past, he struggles to survive in the world he had just saved.
1. Remembering the Past

**AN:** Finally went through and edited and changed bits and pieces of it to make it at least somewhat presentable. So enjoy, review, flame, ignore, stab your monitor with a rusty fork, w/e. But really, I just started writing stories not too long ago, so I would appreciate it if you guys gave me some quick advice :):)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar. If I did, I would target it more towards a teenager/adult view base... but sadly, we cannot have everything in life.

* * *

Remembrance

Recently I had taken to walking through the woods and forests. Shrouded in clouds and mist, the valleys below the southern temple was a great place to clear my mind. All was quiet, except for the singing of the birds, and the slight patter of rain striking the ground.

My hand traced a stone structure, bits and pieces crumbling just from my slight touch. It was a statue of a monk, barely recognizable. There were many stone structures here, long forgotten. Over a hundred years of neglect and wet weather had corroded them greatly. They were some of the last remnants of my people.

Sighing, I kept walking, while running my hand through my long, messy sprawl of hair. I just couldn't clear my thoughts today.

Maybe because this was the anniversary of the day I had triumphed over Fire Lord Ozai. Thinking about it, it should be a cause to celebrate… I should be happy… but all I could think about was the miseries of my life. There seems to be no end of those.

I came across a set of steps… funny how these were built… in airbender territory. I could have safely jumped down the small cliff, but I chose to walk for some reason. I felt too depressed to bend, almost as if my sadness weighed me down like a blanket, preventing me from doing anything.

Mostly sheltered by the weather, intricate carvings littered the side of the sloping stone passage. I could see people airbending, and some skybison. There was a carving of some airbender children playing together.

I came across an interesting symbol, so I stopped. The stone here was charred, eroding slightly. Many subtle signs still could be found that fire-benders had struck at my home, despite all my attempts to erase them.

Carefully scrutinizing the symbol, I determined that it was a combination of the four elemental symbols. All four seemed to coexist with each other naturally, working together to achieve a unified idea. Perhaps it had to do something with the Avatar.

Maybe that was why there were scorch marks all over it.

I stood there for a while, trying to figure out the meaning of the symbol. Giving up after it yielded nothing to me, I started to walk again. When suddenly my foot crushed something, I looked down… it was a large bone, with a thick crack now running down the center.

I figured that it must have been some animal, and although that still disturbed me, it wasn't so bad I guess.

My eyes moved as I saw a trail of bones. Without thinking, I followed the trail; until I found a human skull… its empty sockets seemed to stare deeply into mine.

I immediately closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself not to be overcome. I didn't fear going into the Avatar state though; I had lost that ability awhile ago.

Stumbling backwards, I turned and fled.

**

* * *

**

I was helping Master Pakku build another house. Up went a wall, and then another… I almost imagined to myself that I was earthbending, although it was ice and not earth. From somewhere out of my view, he formed a flowing dome of water, and froze it, forming the ceiling.

I then watched as he went around and made all sorts of adjustments… and making it look nice. I couldn't do that yet… the way we made the pillars, and made all sorts of cool ripples and other intricate effects, was way beyond me.

It was supposed to be a guest house… if we actually got any guests to come, I thought sarcastically. I guess that's why he was lavishing so much time on it.

Once we had the additional benders come to the South Pole, our small tribe had really grown! It was probably four times the size it once was. Every bit of space was needed however, for the population had grown as well.

It would never be quite as grand as the North Pole though.

I missed our visit there. Living in an actual civilization of water benders and true water tribe culture had been amazing.

Now that I think about it, I just missed travelling in general. It had been ten years since we had beaten Ozai. After that… well… I had just went back home, with Sokka of course. I missed making campfires… sleeping outdoors and going on adventures, free to do whatever we wanted… but most of all, I missed Aang.

I never had said goodbye to him…

"Katara?" I heard Master Pakku say.

"Yes Master Pakku?" I called back. I must have been sitting there for awhile.

"I've told you a thousand times… just Pakku is fine. Just not grampy… or Gramp-Gramp," he said, making a face. I laughed, remembering all the silly names Sokka kept coming up for him.

"It's almost time for dinner. Why don't you come eat with me and Kanna? As a thank-you for all the hard work you've done today."

"Sure…" I replied sourly. Catching myself, I quickly added, "I'd love to."

I just hope Gran-Gran would be cooking tonight.

* * *

I ran for as long as I could… until I fell on to the ground, gasping, out of breath.

Funny… an airbender who was out of breath.

I flopped over on my back, staring straight up into the canopy, and let my mind wander. Small drops of water would splash on my face every once in a while, but I barely even noticed.

"Why Aang? Why did you leave?" I heard Gyatso call out to me.

I jumped as a large bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, right above me. The explosion of sound that came right after shook me from head to toe. The slow drizzle suddenly turned into a torrential downpour that pelted me mercilessly.

"You could have saved us… saved me. We needed you, Aang."

A bright white light shone down from the Heavens as he shimmered into view right in front of me.

"No… you're dead… Le… Leave me alone!" I cried out.

"We needed you." He repeated.

I sank to my knees, staring up to my old master… my old friend. He shimmered again, like he was insubstantial. The rain passed right through him, pelting right into my face.

Suddenly, the bright white light surrounding him grew in intensity. I blocked my eyes as it got brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, he was gone, as well as the light. I let my arm fall to my side, and noticed that Gyatso had been replaced by me… me from ten years ago. His eyes and tattoos glowed pure white. He stared right at me; the lack of seeable eyes could not prevent the look of disgust written clearly on his face.

He swiped the air in front of him in a smooth arc, and a jagged prong of earth shot up and struck me in the chest.

Gasping, I was thrown back; collapsing into a heap sprawled on the muddy earth. My chest exploded with pain. I had felt several of my ribs crack and splinter from the impact. Sickened, I threw up a mixture of vomit and blood.

I laid there for minutes, expecting at any time for my past self to finish me off, but nothing came. I forced my head up to look, and he wasn't there. He was gone.

Just that small effort caused my pain to increase threefold. I groaned as numbness spread through my limbs, and my vision grew hazy. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. My ragged breathing felt like it was tearing my chest open. Vaguely, I wondered if this was how Jet felt in Ba Sing Se.

Then, I heard a small 'pop', and blessed warmth and relief flowed through my chest and veins. Overjoyed, I opened my eyes.

Katara sat next to me, with her head turned away so I couldn't see her face.

My vision blurred and I felt a tear fall down my face, as I was once again reminded that I had never said goodbye to her… to any of them.

Silently, she rotated her head towards me. An empty, flat surface was all that was there.

"AGGGHHH!" I screamed, and bolted up to a sitting position.

I was panting heavily, sweat dripping down my back. I felt my chest, no marks or anything was there. It also wasn't raining… just a slight mist.

I tried to calm myself… it was just a dream. I heard a small growl come from behind me. Jumping slightly, I turned around and saw Appa. He was looking at me, almost expectantly.

"Hey boy…" I said, while getting up to hug him. These dreams… or maybe visions… kept plaguing my mind, ever since I had returned to my home.

"You got any advice for me?" I asked him.

He tilted his head, staring at me.

"No, I've told you… I can't go back and visit them."

Lost in thought, I climbed on to Appa's back. He took off unexpectedly, without me even saying yip yip, and headed to what I presumed would be the temple.

Ten years ago exactly… I had defeated the Fire Lord, and Zuko had taken his rightful place at the throne after he and Katara took Azula down.

Even though we had won though, there was still so much to do. The next day, after Zuko's coronation, I had taken off. An endless amount of celebrations, meetings, councils, and a variety of other things awaited me. I would go somewhere, and receive two more invitations before I could say 'hello'.

After the war, Katara and Sokka stayed at the royal palace, as Zuko's honored guests. I was barely able to see them between all my duties. I saw them again maybe twice, once when I helped Zuko plan how to counteract a group of renegade Fire Nation soldiers who seized control of an Earth Nation town, and once when a celebration at Ba Sing Se was cancelled due to an uprising of the Dai Li. It didn't take me long to stop them and then permanently disband them, but the party was cancelled anyways.

The few times I did see them were brief. I should have noticed their feelings. I had been so busy during those times, that I had nearly forgotten my feelings for Katara. I should have paid more attention, and the only person I can blame is myself.

One day, I had managed to find another lull in my duties, and I had wanted to see them again. But when I got to the palace, they were long gone.

Zuko said that Katara and Sokka had headed back home, with their dad, and Toph had gone back to her parents. I had forgotten that Hakota was the leader of their tribe, and that soon he would need to go back home at some point to lead his own people. I had neglected my friends, so why wouldn't they take the opportunity to go back home when their dad did?

That was the day that I had finally lost hope.

Vaguely, I noticed that Appa had landed. I slipped off his back, and set off. This place seems so dull now that I'm the only one here. Countless times I had walked throughout the entire place, as if seeking something. There was only one place I hadn't gone yet.

Often, if I was feeling down enough (which was fairly often) I would see visions. I would see my people and the temple as it was a hundred years ago. Tears would well up in my eyes when I watched them go about their everyday business, taking no notice of my future self. My mind had even conjured up an image of Gyatso once.

I passed by a memorable area. Here was where I had shown my airbending friends the air-scooter. It was also here that they had abandoned me; after they had found out I was the Avatar.

Tearing my eyes from the flat expanse, I quickly headed up the stairs on the left. This place held nothing but bad memories for me.

I briefly wondered if I had done any good so far in my life. Yeah, I had defeated the Fire Lord and restored 'balance' to the world… but it didn't really restore balance, just a cruel mockery of it.

What had started out as a war of swords and bending had turned into a battle of words. The tensions between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world hadn't really decreased much.

One hundred years of hatred just couldn't be fixed it seemed.

I didn't have the heart to return to my friends after that day. How could I face them? After everything I had put them through… and then not even saying goodbye… If they hated me for deserting them, I deserved it.

After that day, I turned my back on the world, just as I did so many years ago… when I left my home.

Trying to find my place, I travelled around the world for over a year. Everywhere, I was greeted and congratulated. People would invite me to their homes, and bestow me with gifts and keepsakes. I didn't deserve it though.

Soon, people started avoiding me. The dull, hopeless look in my eyes scared them. I could not bring myself to laugh, or to have fun. Not even when I would come across a familiar sight during my travels with my friends.

That part of me was gone… disappeared as fast as my friends had.

Eventually, I had come back here, to my home, hiding myself from the rest of the world. I lived off the nuts and fruits that grew here and in the forests below. Only rarely had I needed to leave to buy food or other necessities.

As I continued up the many stairs and passageways, I came across the place I had first met Appa. I remembered how I had shyly given him an apple, and he tackled me to the ground, licking my face. I made a mental note to take better care of him from now on. I didn't want to lose him too.

**

* * *

**

I trudged slowly through the snow. Not too long ago, some flurries had started to swirl around, getting in my hair and face. Dark grey storm clouds hung low over the sky; it looked like there would be a large snowstorm tonight.

Gran-Gran had cooked tonight, much to my relief. Stewed sea prunes and a medley of shrimps and scallops over a bed of seaweed; it was delicious. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. I couldn't take my mind off of Aang.

Every time I tried to push him away, his image would pop back into my mind two times clearer than before. It was driving me nearly insane.

As a result, I didn't notice Sokka was there until after I walked into him.

"Ow… hey!" he said, whipping around. "Oh, it's you."

He and Suki had been happily married for nearly nine years. I wondered why he was out so late, it was already dark. Suki was finally expecting her first child, and I would have thought that Sokka would be acting extremely protective of her. He apparently knew why I was out so late though.

"It's him… isn't it? Aang?" He said, tentatively, putting his hand on my shoulder.

Crestfallen, I hung my head and nodded slightly. I heard him sigh, no doubt about to give me some useless advice about 'moving on'. He was the one who had gotten me to go back home. I was prepared to wait for Aang for as long as I needed to… Sokka didn't understand… he and Aang were almost best friends throughout our journeys, I can't believe that he would abandon him so easily without even…

"We should go see him…"

At first, I almost didn't believe those words had just come out of his mouth. I looked up at him too surprised to say anything.

"What... You've been like this on and off for years, it's time you did something about it."

"Sokka…" words finally coming to my mouth, "…we're at the South Pole. Even if we could just leave again and somehow get away from here… where could we find him? It's not like we… keep in touch…" I hiccupped.

"What happened to you and grampy's 'nothing can stop a master water bender' nonsense?" He replied sarcastically. "We'd find a way… and I'm sure he'd want to see you again."

I hugged him. I almost laughed, my body wanted to, but my heart said no. I wouldn't really be happy again until I was with Aang.

"There there…" he patted my back. "I'll try and talk to dad about it."

**

* * *

**

I stood outside a simple wooden door. Located at the top of one of the tallest towers, I could feel the temple shift and groan slightly underneath my feet. A storm had come up fast, and it felt like a bad one.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open, and entered my room.

It was the one place I had not entered yet, and it looked exactly the way I had left it over a hundred years ago. A small layer of dust, much smaller than I had expected, covered the entire room.

I could hear the storm howl outside, through the small opening in the wall. I moved over and fumbled with a small decaying piece of cloth, hooking it across the opening. It bulged, taut, but it held.

Now nearly silent, the room was also nearly completely dark. I bumped into a small Pai Sho table. Pieces rattled and fell, as I remembered that it was an old game with Gyatso, which we had never finished.

Bending over, I picked up a piece at random. Looking closely in the dim light, I managed to tell that it was a white lotus tile. I twirled it around in my fingers a few times, until suddenly angry, threw it hard across the room.

I banged my knee hard into the table again, and I growled my frustration with the pain. As I stood there, hopping on one foot, I noticed something on my bed.

Pain forgotten, I picked it up, my touch revealing a scroll. I remembered too late that it must have been the scroll I had written before leaving.

Tears dropped down my face as I unfurled it. It caught me like a charm, and I couldn't resist reading it, reading and reliving one of the greatest regrets in my life. Here, in my hands, was a crumbling, aged letter to Gyatso, describing my fear, my pain… what I was about to do next.

I laid there for hours it seemed, my tear-stained eyes rereading it again and again. At some point, I had fallen back, sitting and leaning up against the wall. The scroll slipped through my loose hands, breaking on the ground. I slouched further, wondering if any previous Avatar had suffered as I had.

It didn't seem so bad to just give in and die. I had nothing to live for anymore, anything it seemed, was better than living through this. My eyes slowly began to close.

* * *

I tossed and turned trying to get to sleep, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't. Eventually, I decided it must be the howling weather outside. Putting on my clothes and my coat quickly, I decided to go outside for a bit.

The glow from the various lanterns, which were always lit at night, helped me see, but any more than five feet in front of me was blinded by the thick snow. It was already at least a foot deep. I bended the snow above me, keeping it out of my hair almost like an umbrella.

Walking aimlessly around for a while, I eventually found myself drawn to the front entrance. I leaned against one of the icy pillars, staring out into the dark abyss.

I stood there forever it seemed. Various thoughts drifted through my head, most of them concerning Aang. I wondered what he was like now… if he had changed in the past ten years. Sokka had always said that except for looking slightly older, I hadn't changed at all.

I wondered if he was alright. I still felt bad about leaving him all alone. He had always been able to handle stress well, considering all that he had been put through. But certain things that pushed him over the edge… well… I didn't want to think what would happen if we weren't there for him.

I had just turned around to head back, when I thought I heard something. I froze in place.

I heard it again, almost like a deep, rumbling sound. I tried telling myself that it was just the weather. That would certainly make sense.

But then, suddenly, a shape formed in the darkness outside. Scared, I started backing up, melting the snow around me in case I needed to defend myself, until I realized what it was. It was Appa.

"Aang…" I murmured, rushing forward. I wondered what it was that had made him come back after all these long years of separation. I hoped it wasn't bad news.

I peered way above me, but I couldn't find him. Appa wasn't wearing his saddle, so it should have been easy to spot him. I could see Momo clearly from down here.

"Aang?" I called out. Then… it hit me.

He wasn't here.

Somehow I could tell, by Appa's soft, almost pitiful moans, and by the way Momo flew down beside me, his ears tucked back behind his head looking all sad, I knew that something terrible had happened.

* * *

Incredible pain seared every fiber of my entire body. In an effort to shield myself from the pain, I had gone into a trance-like state. I used it often while meditating, but it seemed to do next to nothing for this pain.

I was beyond hungry. Slowly, I was wasting away from the lack of food over the past two days. I had given up on my thoughts of passing away; it was way too much for me I realized. I shouldn't have believed that it would be so easy, but it was too late now. I was too weak to move, let alone leave and find food. I could only wait for the end.

Another scream passed through my lips, as the pain slipped up a notch. It came in pulses, like waves. They tore through my body, with me shivering as I helplessly waited for the next one. Sweat drenched my entire body, or at least until recently. Now I felt dried up like some fruit left out in the sun for days.

My entire body kept shaking from clenching my stomach muscles for too long. But if I didn't, my body would explode in pain. It felt like searing daggers white-hot were being slowly driven into my body, charring the skin as it slipped deeper and deeper.

In my meditative state, I was unaware of my surroundings, only my body and my thoughts. I would have used the time to think about my life and my accomplishments before I died, but each pulse would distract me. I couldn't seem to be able to follow a train-of-thought for long.

Then, all of a sudden, the pain stopped. Never before have I been so relieved. I feel better than I have for a long time, all of a sudden. I almost felt hopeful again. It seems as though all of my worries and bad memories have been swept away by some unseen force. I feel calm, normal… like how any person my age should feel.

I opened my eyes, and staring back, filled with concern, was a pair of deep blue eyes.


	2. Finding Aang

Thanks for the reviews. Yeah 10 years sounds like a long time I've realized now. I liked the idea of the gang being young adults though. Aang wasn't living at the temple for 10 years too, probably more like 7, which is still a long time though. And I knew from the beginning I'm not that good at making characters sound how they're supposed to lol. I'm still working on that.

I had originally planned just making this a one chapter thing, but some people have been telling me to keep writing, so I'll see what I can do. It could all go downhill from here, but I have a few ideas (one you might hate me for though D: )

In order to start writing again from an awkward ending (I had planned that to be the end) I'm backtracking a bit. This is a quick version of Katara's tale of finding Aang, and I'll continue the story from here.

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**Discovery**

The heavy rain was making the trip really uncomfortable and I wanted to bend the water out of my clothes and my face, but I refused to release my death grip on Appa's fur. Flying without a saddle was terrifying, especially during the middle of a storm. Even though I was so scared, I was strangely happy, and extremely nervous. I was flying on Appa again, just like old times… during the war, and I would probably get to see Aang again too.

Appa gave a low growl. Shivering from the cold and dampness, I looked up. We had entered the Patola Mountain Range not too long ago, and as we flew around the nearest peak, I could just make out the Southern Temple in the dim light. The sun hadn't risen yet, and we had been flying for nearly half the night. Even after all these years of neglect, it was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Appa swung around, and landed on a circular platform. I slid off his back as soon as his feet had touched the ground. My legs gave out from under me, and I collapsed on the ground. I rested there for a few minutes, trying to get rid of the burning sensation spreading through my arms and legs.

Forcing myself to my knees, I glanced around. This place was huge, even just looking around the outside of the temple would take awhile by myself. I regretted not bringing Sokka with me, I had completely forgotten in the heat of the moment. I hope they weren't too mad with me for leaving without even telling someone.

I glanced over at Appa. Out of desperation, I asked him, "You have any idea where Aang is?"

All he gave in response was a soft moan.

"Well thanks anyway." Feeling foolish, I got up. My legs were still unsteady, but I'd just have to walk it off. I bended the water off of me, tossed it aside, and ran off.

.

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I had been running around for hours it seemed. Exhausted, I bent over for a minute to catch my breath. I needed to think for a second, where could I find Aang? Where would he most likely be?

He didn't seem to be outside, or he would have heard me calling to him. It occurred to me for a second that he might be avoiding me on purpose, but I tossed that idea aside.

Oh… of course, he's still probably asleep. Stupid me! I can't believe I hadn't thought of that yet. The sun had risen over the distant mountains not that long ago.

But now another problem… where would Aang be sleeping? He could be anywhere inside any of the several towers.

I tried thinking about our last visit here. He must have said something… I had the feeling I knew the answer, but had momentarily forgotten it. Wait… I remember him saying something about the tower next to Monk Gyatso's statue.

Well, it was a better lead than what I had before. My side was still cramping, but I got up and forced myself to run. Luckily I wasn't far from the statue.

When I reached it, I immediately noticed that there were footprints in the dirt in the immediate area. The rain had pooled up in to the prints, leaving them easily noticeable. Taking this as a good sign, I followed the footprints until I reached a door. Looking up, I saw at least five different heights of windows, so five floors. I opened the door and walked inside.

Ughhh, there were so many doors here. This was going to take a while, and Aang might not even be here. I called Aang's name, but got no response.

Going from door to door, I slammed each one open, and quickly scanned the room. I figured that Aang's presence would be easily noticeable. Dust covered each room, and it should be hard to miss an airbender's presence in a room full of dust. I almost laughed when I remembered the time when Aang sneezed and flew ten feet up in the air.

"AAHH!" I screamed, and toppled backwards out of the room. There was a heap of bones on the ground. I sat there for a minute trying to work up the courage to peek inside again. This time, I noticed that the bones were generations old. They were cracked and falling apart and the skull had nearly completely disintegrated. Relieved, I moved on.

Three rooms later, I had finished the first floor. It must have been twenty rooms in all, I hoped that there would be less the higher up I got. I ran up the staircase at the end of the hall, and kept searching.

.

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Panting, I pulled myself up the last few steps. The stairs here were so steep, and my legs were burning from the exercise. I had completely searched four floors, and I realized that this should be the last one.

I called out to him again, and got no response. He could still be asleep, but this wasn't a very good sign.

I was in a small circular hallway, with three doors at the farthest left, right and straight ahead. I noticed that the farthest door was slightly ajar. Feeling hopeful again, I ignored the other doors and headed straight for that one. I pushed it open, and went inside.

It was so dark I could barely see my hand right in front of me. The faint outline of light shone to my left. I went to it and ripped at some fabric. It tore apart in my hands, and light flooded through the opening I had just created.

In the new light, I looked around. The first thing I saw was a Pai Sho table. I didn't know Aang knew how to play, that is, assuming this was in fact his room. But the dust covering the table had been disturbed recently, I noticed. Tiles were thrown all over the room, and tile shaped voids of dust covered the table.

Glancing around again, I saw something in the far corner. It took less than a second to realize it was Aang. I ran over to him.

The first thing I noticed was that he looked terrible. I knew it; Appa had sought me out for a reason. He had grown out his hair, but it was all matted and dirty. The beginning of a beard covered his chin and neck.

I put my hand to his chest. I was relieved when I could feel a faint heartbeat. But I wondered how long that would last. I knew that Aang had always been a skinny kid, but I didn't remember him being this skinny. It looked as though he had wasted away; he was as thin as a twig.

Wondering what I should do, I softly shook him, trying to wake him up. A few moments later, his eyes cracked open, just slightly. I gasped.

He moved his lips, as if he was trying to tell me something. I bent closer to try and hear, but I realized that his eyes had closed again, and he had fallen back asleep. Quickly, I checked his heart again. Convinced that he was alive, I hooked him around me and lifted him up.

I stood up so much quicker than I had expected, I almost dropped him. He was so light…

I knew that I had to get help. When the Benders from our sister tribe had come to rebuild our home, they had sent a master healer with them. I needed her help to bring Aang back to health, I couldn't do this alone. If I could carry him back to Appa, he could fly us back.

Shifting the weight on my back, I accidentally crushed something with my foot. It felt like parchment, but I forgot about it, intent on getting Aang home as quickly as possible.


	3. Searching for Answers

This is from Sokka's POV now. Past few days I couldn't get myself to sit down and write. I finally forced myself to come up with this today. Sorry if its short / doesn't do much / poor quality. I've started planning some later things, and if I can pull it off, I think it'll be pretty epic :)

I'll start working on the next chapter and hopefully start to get this story moving somewhere.

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* * *

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"KAATARAAA!" I screamed in to the snowy distance.

There was no chance she could hear me in this storm, even if she was nearby. The wind snatched up my words and threw them away.

"KAATAARRAAAA…" My voice cracked a bit.

I wish I knew where she was. I was woken up by some old lady who had said that Katara was missing. She said that she had seen her walking outside, which during this storm, was pretty dumb… even if she was a waterbender.

The old lady had then gone back to sleep, but she said that fate sent her a _dire premonition that crept up on her in her dreams._ I call it pure luck. She checked Katara's tent, and sure enough, she was missing.

Then, I had woken up as many men as I could find, and had ordered a search party to be formed. They were searching the entire town right now. I had wound up by the western gate, and looking outside the city, wondered if she had somehow gotten trapped out there. If she did, well that would be bad.

Lately, it seemed as though a grim mood had spread through our tribe, and this only made it worse. A few weeks ago, some traders had stopped by with our usual supply of food and supplies. They had mentioned some disturbing things before leaving. There were reports of how violence and fighting had been spreading. The way the men made it sound, the Fire Nation was growing restless, and might be trying to gain world domination again. But that could't be true, with Zuko as Fire Lord now... or could it?

Just then, I heard someone's footsteps come running up to me. I turned around and greeted Bato.

"We've searched the entire town, and we can't find her. However, one of our men found something interesting."

"Where?"

"By the northern gate."

I immediately started running, with him following close behind. When I got there, there was a group of people crouching around something I couldn't see.

"Back… back! What did you find?" I shouted.

One of the men stepped back so that I could get a better view.

"I ain't seen nothin' like it, sir. It's like a giant animal was runnin' around. There were more prints coverin' the area, but the snows been coverin' most of 'em."

I looked around, and sure enough, there were several large prints, most of them nearly gone by now. The one in front of me, however, was still deep. I wondered what kind of monster could possibly leave tracks this big, and if it had something to do with Katara. I hope not.

"Wait… notice how the snow here on this edge of the print is deeper and more compacted? It looks like the creature's claws dug into the ground… before… wait…" This seemed strangely familiar. It took me only a second to remember.

"Aha! I've got it! These tracks were made by Appa!" I said with a sense of finality.

"Who's that?" I heard one of the men ask.

"He's the Avatar's flying bison. See how the claw marks are deeper and more defined in the front? It happens when Appa prepares to fly. His claws tear up the ground as he propels himself forward and up."

"Hmm ya' reckon the Avatar was here?" The first man asked.

"I don't know…" A million scenarios played through my mind, including Katara being kidnapped by Aang, or maybe it wasn't Appa, but one of those mythical dragons. They flew too, and probably tore up the earth like Appa does. Or I could be entirely wrong.

"We need to search outside the town, just in case..." The men started grumbling to themselves.

"Katara could be out there, stuck outside and lost!" They still seemed upset, but willing to go now. Bato motioned me closer to speak privately.

"It's still dangerous with these conditions. Do you have any ideas on how to increase the safety for your men?" He asked me, testing me again it seemed.

"Oh, I got it…" Turning and facing the men, I projected my voice.

"Everyone needs to stick in groups of two or three. Because of the weather, you should remain within a half-mile radius of the town. Meet back here in two hours, or we'll assume you're missing." Feeling foolish, I turned back to Bato. He gave me a quick nod.

"Ok! Let's move out!" I shouted.

Turning back to Bato, I said, "I need to go tell my dad what's going on. Wait for me; I'll head out with you in a minute." He gave another nod, as I ran off.

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"Sokka…" I heard Bato call out from behind me. "It's been nearly two hours, we should head back."

We hadn't seen a single clue about what happened to Katara, besides the tracks from earlier. It seemed like I was right about Appa, but I was still worried.

"Yeah… let's go back… I guess." Silently I fell in to step with him.

If Katara was with Aang, then everything should be fine. I took a breath to calm myself. If truth be told, I felt sort of guilty. I hadn't even really thought about him, until now. We were like the only friends the kid had, and we had just left him. Well I mean, he did leave **us** behind, but I still felt bad for some reason. Ten years was a long time…

"Sokka…" Bato tore me from my reverie.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Is something troubling you? You're not talking, and you're always talking…" He said, smiling.

I sighed, and looked at the ground for a few minutes before answering.

"It's Aang… If Katara is really with him, and if he's mad at me for abandoning him. I feel bad, friends are supposed to stick together, right?"

"Sokka, you're too hard on yourself. You had to come home eventually, I'm sure he would understand that."

"Hmmm…" I didn't believe him. It had to be more complicated than that, he probably hates me. Bato put his hand on my shoulder.

"You had a duty to your people. You needed to learn how to lead your people. Besides, if friends stick together, he would forgive you, I'm sure."

I started to feel a little better about myself.

"Thanks Bato."

A few minutes passed, and we must have been nearly half-way back to the town by now.

Suddenly, I jumped as a large shadow passed right by us. Looking up, I saw a large animal flying at a great speed across the sky.

"Bato… that must be Appa! She's back!"

The town was starting to come into view. I ran the entire distance.


	4. Forgiveness

Another Chap. is up :D and thanks for the reviews. I didn't have time to really go through this much, and I wanted to post it before I went to bed, to post any errors you might find. Still from Katara's POV.

*yawns* ... enjoy.

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I breathed a deep sigh of relief as my home came in to view. The entire ride back, I was half-expecting Aang's heart to stop beating at any second. I rested my hand against his chest again, it felt so faint and weak I almost cried.

I heard shouts and screaming coming from underneath Appa as I rode over the houses. Directing Appa, I brought him down in front of Ying's home. Ying was the master healer, the only person who was in reasonable distance that could save Aang's life.

I slid off Appa's back, once again, crumpling in to a heap. Forcing my limp legs upright, I half-walked half-crawled to Ying's door, and weakly knocked twice. The door immediately opened, revealing the old, weathered face of Ying, and a young boy right behind her.

"I heard screaming… oh! Katara, you've returned." She said.

"Yes…" I returned breathlessly. "I need your help."

"I see…" She looked up at Appa, where Aang's curled body still lay. She motioned for the young boy behind her to bring Aang, while she guided me inside.

"What is wrong with him?" She asked me, when the young boy returned, dragging Aang. I winced, hoping he didn't hurt him.

"I found him, asleep, like this. I think he might have starved…"

"Well it certainly looks like that." She replied, as I picked Aang up and laid him on the bed. "I'm not sure what all I can do to help, but I have to try." She sighed.

"Is there anything you can do? Will he make it?" I helplessly asked.

"There are no cuts, bruises, or any other injuries involved. I can bend and restore balance to his chi to shield him from the pain… but the body requires nourishment to survive, which water alone can not solely provide." She fell silent, thinking deeply.

"I know. Over there in that shelf is a sack made from the stomach of a seal, filled with the blood of that recently-slain seal. We can start with this."

As I fetched it and handed the sack over to her, I couldn't help but think of how much Aang would hate this. I silently hoped he would not find out.

Ying bended the blood out of the sack, and carefully brought passed it through Aang's lips and down his throat.

She motioned to the young servant again.

"See if you can find any liquids made from fruits of vegetables around town..." Turning to me again, she said, "Until he wakes up, I don't want to risk feeding him solid food or he may choke."

That sounded smart.

"Do you think he'll make it?" I asked again.

She gave me a caring smile. "If all goes well, I think he will survive."

Oh that was such a relief to hear. I started to feel slightly better, but as soon as I had thought that, Aang started writhing. It looked like he was about to empty his stomach everywhere.

"Oh dear…" Ying started tracing her hand around Aang's stomach, and slowly, he stopped convulsing. He lay still once again, looking peaceful.

"He's a vegetarian…" I offered.

I heard some running and some raised voices outside the house. The footsteps grew louder and louder, until the door behind us was thrown loudly open. Turning, I came face to face with a Sokka whose face was livid and bright red.

"WHAT is going on?!" He shouted. "Where did you go, we were worried sick!"

"Sokka be quiet…" I hissed. He was looking over my shoulder, and he must have glimpsed Aang. He grabbed my wrist, and forcibly dragged me outside.

"Ow… Sokka!" I whined.

"What is going on…?" He glared at me. I had rarely ever seen him this angry before. "I wake up and you're just GONE… were you even thinking!? You could have told someone… before causing the entire town to be in an uproar…"

I flinched as flecks of spit started flying towards me.

"There was no time…" I retorted. "Aang was in trouble." I wrenched my arm from his grasp, and wiped my face… gross…

"Speaking of that… what happened to him? Why is he laying there looking dead… what happened?!" He demanded.

"Don't say that!" My own voice started rising to match. "And I'm surprised you seem to care so much!"

But as soon as I said that, I realized that he did actually seem to care. There was a trace of concern in his eyes, which I had rarely seen before. It made me wonder if something had happened recently.

"I… I do care…" He hesitated, looking hurt. "Besides, those traders who had came a few weeks ago… do you remember them?" I nodded.

"I was talking to them, and they said that they heard all sorts of rumors. They said that no one had seen the Avatar in years… almost as if he had vanished. And with the current state of the world right now…" He fell silent.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked.

"Well… the traders… they mentioned that tensions had been growing over the past couple years. They said that the Fire Nation is becoming restless, and that it might not be long before the war is started again. And since Aang was missing…"

I remembered the terrible rumors that had been spreading even as far as our home, although I found myself skeptical of most of them.

"Zuko wouldn't do that…" I said stubbornly.

"Well how do we even know that he is still Fire Lord? You know how many people still supported the war and were against him. How much do you think Aang knows of this?"

A cold feeling started growing in my stomach. I remembered the last time Aang had felt as if he had failed the world. He had left us behind on that Fire Nation ship, and had tried to take on the world by himself… I couldn't let something like that happen again… I had to protect him.

"Don't mention a word to him when he wakes up…" I said menacingly. Just then, the small boy who had been helping Ying walked past me, carrying something. He cast me a glance, before disappearing inside the house.

"You can't protect him forever, and it is his duty to protect the world." I heard Sokka say.

"He can't protect the world if he can't protect himself!" I shot back, before storming over to Ying's door.

"Katara… he needs to know." He said simply. I shot him a glare, before darting inside. I couldn't believe how insensitive he could be at times.

Ying was bent over, staring at Aang.

"How's he doing…?" I asked. She put up a hand, silencing me, and motioned me closer.

I crept up to the bed, and noticed that Aang was moving!

"He's coming to." Ying quietly mentioned. I heard Sokka quietly step up right behind me.

He opened his eyes.

"Ka-Kataraa?" He croaked.

I grasped his hand tightly. "I'm here." He gave me a small smile.

I twisted around, and noticed that Sokka had stepped back a few paces, looking nervous. I waved him closer, and hesitatingly, he made his way slowly up to Aang's side.

I felt Aang's hand tighten in my grip. I looked at him, and he was staring up at Sokka. Silently, they stared at each other, and the air seemed to freeze.

After a minute, Sokka finally spoke up.

"Umm… Aang?" He cleared his throat. "Well… I just want to say that I'm sorry for the way things turned out..."

I couldn't believe this… Sokka… was apologizing… Hah!

He continued…"I know that friends stick together, and that…" Aang cut him off.

"It's fine Sokka." I heard Sokka breath a deep sigh of relief, to my annoyance. "If anyone is to blame, it's myself. I should have paid more attention to the people I care about."

"So… friends?" Sokka asked.

"Friends." Aang smiled, and they gripped each other's arms in the traditional water-tribe fashion.

I looked around the room, noticing that Ying had disappeared. I wondered where she had gone… or maybe, sensing the growing tension, she had given us some privacy.

My attention was brought back when Sokka started talking again. "So now that you're awake, what has happened the past several years? The rumors are that you vanished in to thin air!"

I frowned at him, but said nothing… insensitive brute…

"I don't know…" Aang replied. "I've been living at the Southern Air Temple for a long time, so I guess I did sort of vanish…"

He looked sad, and I felt the need to act.

"Don't worry; you can still fix anything that has come up during your absence. And this time… you'll have us." I gripped his hand tighter for a second.

"Well, if we want to have enough time… we need to leave immediately." I heard Sokka say.

"You can't be serious…" I replied.

"But Katara…" Aang spoke up again. "I need to protect the balance of the world. It's my Avatar duty."

"You just woke up! You're so exhausted and emaciated that you probably can't even walk! You want to travel to the Fire Nation now?"

"Why? What's up with the Fire Nation?" He asked. I resisted the urge to smack myself.

Sokka butted in. "Well… there have been some serious rumors spreading lately…"

Just then, the door opened, and Ying walked in, carrying some breakfast for Aang it looked like. Simple, easily digestible food.

As Aang started devouring the meal, I desperately asked Ying, "Please tell these idiots that Aang isn't able to travel yet…"

"Well of course…!" She replied, looking surprised. "I had hoped that you would remain for at least a week to recover."

Aang looked up from his bowl. "A week!?" He protested. "I don't have that long though..."

"Well…" Ying looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you promise that you eat healthily and try to fill yourself, to gain back the weight you lost… I think I can trust leaving you in Katara's hands."

"I promise."

"But I want you to stay here for at least until tomorrow. I want you to be able to stand without support before you travel anywhere…" She reprimanded.

"Fine…" came the sour reply.

Aang started yawning… it reminded me of how tired I was.

"You should get some rest." Ying said to him, walking to the door. "I'll come to check on you later."

Sokka followed Ying outside, casting a brief glance at me before disappearing. I remained sitting on the edge of the bed.

I sat there for a few minutes, watching Aang to make sure he got some rest, when it hit me how exhausted I was. My eyes felt like there had been weights attached to them. Without really even thinking, I swung my legs up on to the bed, and lay down curled up next to Aang. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, and my last thought was I hope Sokka doesn't see this.


	5. An Old Friend

If you haven't noticed, I'm basically making this up as I go. I apologize in advance if some parts seem disjointed or don't fit. But I just came up with this _killer_ idea earlier. It's pretty epic, and actually ties in pretty well with the actual story line, at least I think. Unfortunately, it won't really be mentioned much for a couple more chapters, although I put in a couple sly hints that are way out there and you would have no idea they are hints if you don't know exactly what the idea is... :)

I want to tell someone my idea lol, it's bottled up inside me and demands escape, but then I'd ruin the surprise... I wish I had some patience

So I think I'm finally taking this story somewhere in this chapter (It's a decently sized one, although I kind of rushed it so it could have been longer).

Thanks again for the reviews guys :)

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Slowly, I felt my subconscious mind retreat from the dream I was having, and enter cold reality. My eyes were still shut, but I could feel myself waking up now. I heard voices, although they sounded distant and unclear.

I could make out a word here and there. I think I heard my name mentioned once, as well as Fire Nation, Zuko, and what sounded like 'war'. I shifted and groaned.

"Oh look! You woke him up… good job…" I suddenly heard Katara say. It seemed so loud and clear now it startled me. I opened my eyes, and saw Katara and Sokka arguing in the corner of the room farther away from me.

"Good!" came Sokka's voice. "Now we can prepare for our journey."

I suddenly jumped three feet in the air, when I heard Ying's voice call out from right next to me.

"We still need to… oh sorry Aang… we should make sure Aang is up to this trip before we make these 'preparations'."

Now that I was fully awake, she handed me a bowl of some bland porridge. It was pretty tasteless and I didn't really care for it, but I was starving.

"Well make it quick…" I heard Sokka say, before leaving the house.

"Where'd he go?" I asked between mouthfuls.

"_Preparations…"_ Katara said, rolling her eyes.

I grinned, and kept eating, until I noticed that she was staring at me. I started to feel a little uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Nothing…" She quickly replied, and turned away.

Ying took the bowl from my hands once I had finished, and set it on a table next to me.

"So, how are you feeling young Avatar?"

"Umm… good." I replied, and I meant it. Lying down in this bed, I felt very warm and secure, and the small amount of pain that had been troubling me yesterday was gone.

"Well, let's see how you feel outside of that comfy bed…" She motioned me up.

Struggling with the covers, I stretched and hung my legs over the edge of the bed. I looked over at Ying, and she gave me a nod. I lifted myself, and stood up.

At first, I nearly toppled over. Feeling dizzy and slightly nauseous, I grabbed the table for support. Once the feeling had passed, I let go. I stood there for a second, before slowly making my way stumbling across the room.

"Hmm, well I _think_ you'll be strong enough to travel… as long as you don't overdo it. You should become steadier as the day goes on, and you get some exercise."

Suddenly, the door crashed open.

"That's good enough for me!" Sokka exclaimed, and grabbing me by the wrist, dragged me out the door.

"Uhhaahhhhhhh!"

Shielding my eyes from the sudden blast of light, I could see Appa in front of me.

"Hey buddy!" I shouted at him.

A few moments later, Katara strode out of the room, with a frown on her face.

"I think you are really rushing this, Sokka…"

"Well, I think you are really delaying this, Katara... what do you think Aang?"

I didn't want to disappoint Katara, but I had no choice.

"Well… I do think we need to get moving, if we don't want to reach the Fire Nation at midnight."

"Ugh, you two… can't… such nut-brained… I can't believe you were arguing yesterday!" She shot at us, although mostly at Sokka I noticed.

Sokka started climbing on top of Appa, talking over his shoulder. Katara followed right behind him, and helped me climb up. Without his saddle, we had to grip on to his bare fur.

"I already gathered enough food to last the journey, luckily it's not far. And I also sent someone to talk to dad, so we're all set to go... Yip yip!"

"Wow… you did all that in one minute?" I was surprised.

"Didn't you know…?" came Katara's voice, dripping with sarcasm. "Sokka's practically the leader of our town now. He can do whatever he wants."

"Ohhhh… I wouldn't say _anything_… but, it's getting there."

I laughed like I hadn't in years... which actually now that I think about it, might be true.

"You guys haven't changed at all…" I felt a little depressed now, and turned away from them, watching the snow-covered land zoom by past us. Soon, I was staring at the ocean. Giant waves rolled past us. Travelling in the opposite direction, they seemed to be moving at unnatural speeds.

"Aang…? Are you okay?" I heard Katara call out from behind me.

"What… umm yeah. I'm fine."

I heard her crawl up beside me.

"It doesn't seem like it. You wanna talk about it?"

"Nah… it's not important." I fell silent for a few moments.

"It's just been awhile… I'm nervous, that's all. So much has probably changed. Have I changed at all?"

The sudden question threw her off guard, I could tell. I barely heard her though, when she tried to come up with something to dissuade me. I knew the answer already.

"Aang… everything is going to be fine… trust me." She put her hand on my shoulder. It was comforting.

"…Yeah." I looked up at her. "Thanks."

A few seconds passed, and a strange look came across her face, and then she quickly hid it. She withdrew, and started crawling slowly to where Sokka was directing Appa.

Falling back, I lay down across Appa's back, staring up in to the cloudy sky.

Listening, I heard quiet mutterings coming from Katara and Sokka. Feeling, Appa's muscles shift underneath me, I could tell that we had changed direction slightly. Deciding it was nothing, I closed my eyes. Katara _did_ say that everything was going to be fine.

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I sat down in my mother's old garden, not quite sure why I had dragged myself here. Even after all these years though, no sign of her had been found. I had resigned myself to believe that I would never see her again.

I looked across the small pond, watching the Turtle Ducks swim lazily around on the far side. Briefly I smiled, thinking of how she had always loved the animals that had made her garden their home.

I sat there for awhile, closing my eyes, and taking in all the smells and sounds. It was very relaxing, compared to all my work and duties were putting me through.

I heard the slight patter of footsteps rapidly approaching me. I frowned; I had set my mother's garden off-limits to all except for my specifically chosen royal guards who accompanied me nearly everywhere.

Sighing, I dusted off my robes, and stood up, facing him.

"Yes?" I demanded, with almost too much authority in my voice.

"S-Sir…" He was nearly shaking. I tried giving him an apologetic smile, but he didn't seem to notice. "The general sent me, s-sir. He said that he had seen a… a white bison, sir. He said that it had been flying…"

"What!?" I nearly shouted. It couldn't be _him_, could it? I hadn't seen Aang in so many years, but white flying bison are pretty rare, so it had to be him. I took off running.

"S-sir! He is waiting at the… uhh… the main entrance, I believe, sir!" I heard him shout behind me.

Running, I crashed into the doors leading inside. Stumbling, I ran down the corridor. Turning sharply around a corner, I nearly ran straight into Mai.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Mai…! The… the Avatar… he's here!" I managed between breaths.

She yawned.

"He's in the main entrance, waiting for nearly ten minutes by now… you took long enough…" She observed.

Still trying to regain my breath, I managed a, "Oh…"

I stood up straighter. "Well… let's go greet him then." I offered her my hand, and led her towards the main entrance, which wasn't far now.

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"Ugh…"

This was ridiculous. We had been waiting in the main entrance for the past fifteen minutes, and Zuko still wasn't here. I know that he's the Fire Lord and all, but still, it's the Avatar who's here to see him.

We'd spent the time looking at all of the paintings hung up on the wall, of all the past Fire Lords. Zuko had a painting up of himself now. It clearly showed his scar, and had illustrations depicting all four nations. He seemed to be bringing them all together in the picture, in to one large entity.

Hearing footsteps, I looked down the hall. There was Zuko, walking stiffly and slowly, guiding Mai along.

"Finally…" I quietly said, just loud enough for Aang and Sokka to hear.

Although I have to admit, he looked every inch the Fire Lord now. He stood proud and straight; full of self-confidence. But he also looked really exhausted.

"Greetings Avatar Aang, and Sokka and Katara. It has been too long since we last met."

I think I caught Aang rolling his eyes.

"Aw, don't go all formal on us, Zuko." I said with a smile.

Mai spoke up. "It does get pretty boring, dear."

"Fine." He grinned sheepishly. "You three must be famished. It is past noon, why don't we all eat some lunch in the dining room?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Sokka immediately butted in. I could practically see the saliva dripping from his mouth… disgusting. "You got any meat?"

"Umm… sure, follow me." He walked past us, and turned down a smaller corridor.

"The cooks generally have some food set out, after noon, for late-comers. I haven't eaten yet so they're bound to have some waiting for us."

Halfway down the corridor, Zuko came to a stop outside a large ornate door.

Mai suddenly spoke up. "Forgive me, but I need to excuse myself. I have some work I must attend to." I saw Zuko cast a questioning glance to her, before she turned and left. Then he opened the door for us, and followed us inside.

Inside, was a huge, long, but plain looking table. But it was empty. Zuko snapped his fingers, and suddenly there was a short servant beside him. He quietly said something to the servant, who turned and left through a door on the opposite end of the room.

Zuko motioned for us to follow, and sat down at the end of the table. Unsure, I followed Aang, who sat directly across from him.

Soon enough, some servants walked in, carrying plates of food. I could tell Sokka was slightly upset when he saw it was mostly sandwiches and fruit.

Zuko began speaking. "It is actually quite lucky for me that you arrived, Aang. I'm in a bit of a difficult situation."

"What can I do to help?" Aang immediately answered.

"One of our colonies in the southern regions of the Earth Kingdom, near Gaoling and Omashu, has recently come under attack from Earth Kingdom citizens. We are unsure why, and with the disbandment of our army, there is not much I can do to stop the attacks."

"Is that the whole story?" Sokka said, looking up from his food.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not sure if you know, but there have been some rumors spreading around the world. People are saying that the Fire Nation is reverting back to their old, war-like ways. Just saying… that's what I've heard from others."

"That is preposterous." Zuko replied.

"We have done nothing in the past decade that would promote violence or war." He looked down at his plate. "It has appeared though, that the other nations are finding it difficult to accept us. With all that my previous line did, I can't blame them."

"Zuko, are you alright?" I asked. "You look exhausted."

"I've been managing. It's a tough job." He admitted.

"You should get more rest." He looked worse and worse the longer I stared at him. Dark marks hung beneath his eyes, and he was slouching now that he was sitting down.

"I'll have to see. So… Aang? Will you help me with this?"

"I'd love to." Aang replied.

"But first, Aang still needs to recover." I added.

"Why? What happened?" Zuko asked.

"He fell unconscious and nearly starved to death."

"Ouch, that's tough buddy. I can at least say that while you're here, you won't go hungry. In the mean-time, I'll send some of the city guards to try and reinforce the colony."

"Thanks."

"I should be thanking you." Zuko corrected.

"So… it's nice to see that you and Mai are still together. When was the wedding? And where is Iroh, I haven't seen him yet." I asked.

"Mai and I were married about six years ago. We didn't make it in to a huge thing, only some important people from around the Fire Nation were invited." Zuko's face then suddenly fell.

"Iroh passed away a year after." I couldn't believe it, this was terrible news.

"I'm so sorry. How are you coping after that?"

"It's been tough. I hadn't really realized how much I had relied on him for support until… after the funeral."

"I should have been there…" I heard Aang quietly mutter to himself. Zuko also apparently heard him.

"I can take you to Iroh's tomb some other time, if you want. I haven't been there in a long time."

"So, Zuko…" Sokka suddenly spoke up after silently consuming two entire plates full of food. "Things outside the Fire Nation seem iffy… but what about _inside_ the Fire Nation?"

"That hasn't been going so well either unfortunately. Some people have found it… _hard_… to change their life-style…"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Well, some people still support the war, and have committed various… um… crimes, such as… trying to assassinate me." He wryly said out of the corner of his mouth.

"What!? That sounds pretty serious. What if you're asleep or unprepared… you're kind-of important to the world right now…" I exclaimed. "When was the last attempt?"

"There hasn't been one in awhile, and if I'm not prepared… well, that's what I have guards for." He suddenly stood up.

"It's been great seeing all of you again, but I have some matters to deal with. I'll have some servants show you to your rooms, and then you're free to do what ever you please while you're here. Good afternoon." He said, while bowing out of the door.

I turned to Aang. "Do you think the Fire Nation is innocent in this? It'll be weird seeing the Fire Nation as the good guys and the other nations as the bad guys, wont it?"

"Yeah, it will. I can't believe that his own people have tried to kill him though. He made it out like it was some kind of joke, but I wonder if he wasn't telling us something."

"Yeah, I felt that too… you don't think it had something to do with Iroh, does it?" Sokka mentioned.

"I don't know, but please, don't keep bothering him about it." I begged. "He's probably still trying to get over his uncle's death."

"Fine… so, what should we do now?"

"Um, Zuko said to find our rooms, and then do what ever we want." As I said this, the small servant from before hobbled over to us.

"If you wish, I can show you to your rooms now."

"Let's go!" I could barely wait to take a bath, and take a nap. Hopefully, our rooms were decent.


	6. Plans and Secrets

THE PLOT THICKENS......

It's a little shorter than I had hoped... meh

review :)

First section is told from the perspective of someone who's name begins with A and ends with zula...

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All is going well.

My countless months of planning and waiting are finally coming to fruition. Soon, I will be free again. No longer will I be imprisoned in this horrible cell. Soon, my revenge will be complete, and I can continue to carry out my job; my destiny.

Soon… but for now, I had to remain patient.

It was about two years ago; an amazing stroke of luck crossed my path. I was sitting here, rotting in my jail cell, when I was visited by a Dai Lee agent in disguise. The Dai Lee had been disbanded by the Avatar years back, and were round up and thrown in prison just as I had.

But some had escaped imprisonment. Going into hiding, some had eventually made their way back to me. That day, I began planning… plotting… the two agents who had found me, soon to be more, were able to work their way in to the job hierarchy here in the prison.

They began recruiting and persuading other employees that they could trust. It was surprising how many people still secretly supported the war. Those who would not cooperate were blackmailed in to assisting me. When the time was right, they would take control of the prison, and release those who would pledge themselves to us. Our next goal then would be the palace.

All my cards were played, all I had to do now was wait, and my patience was running thin.

As I sat there, meditating, I heard the faint padding of footsteps coming closer to my cell. Then, the iron door screeched, and swung open. One of the Dai Lee agents walked inside. I could tell by the sound of his footsteps; soft yet quick, rather than the loud resounding steps of the guards.

"This had better be important…" I lazily mentioned, with my eyes still closed.

"P-princess… I'm afraid I have s… some bad news…" He stammered.

"Oh?" I turned around and faced him.

"It's about our plan about the palace…"

"_My _plan…"

"Y-yes… of course. The intelligence reports I received, they… they…"

"What is it!?" I demanded, glaring at him. My patience was about to snap if I had to wait any longer.

"The _Avatar_ is there… inside the palace…"

What!? The Avatar had not been seen in ten years… this could upset the balance of my entire plan. If he was back, this could signal my doom. If he was back… he must… _know._

"Leave me… I must think. Don't start the overthrow, and use this time to gather more information."

The door screeched open again, and closed behind him.

This could still be resolved somehow. My plans just needed to be changed… adapted somewhat. There is a way around every angle; I just needed to find it.

It's still possible that the Avatar doesn't know… with Iroh gone, there would be precious little members of the White Lotus who would tell him. This all hinged upon the fact that he did not know, which the more I thought about it, was quite likely. He had not been seen in years and years. Alone, away from civilization, away from the White Lotus… he probably does not know. Yes… he does not know… I am almost sure of it.

My original plans would still work after all. The only change that I needed to make would be to take the Avatar in to account in the defenses of the palace. He was still a threat, but one that could be overcome.

Yes… first I would gather more information. If nothing new was gathered, then we would go ahead with our original plan.

I just needed to be patient…

.

Zuko's POV

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I glanced at the entrance of my study. No one was coming… good.

Reaching back, behind some of the books on one of my many shelves, my hands came in to contact with some clothing. It was some dark leggings, a black tunic, and a blue mask… the mask of the Blue Spirit.

Checking the door again, I quickly changed. Securing the mask around my face, I took a length of rope and made my escape through the window. I climbed down until my feet reached the ground. On this end of the palace, the outside of the palace marked the extent of the palace grounds. I wouldn't have to deal with any of my guards, as opposed to making my way outside by going through the palace.

I silently made my way towards the seedy part of the city. Broken, dirty, poorly constructed houses met my gaze, the occupants strikingly similar. I had always expressed my distaste for this section of the city, but it did have its uses, mainly information.

The lighting was poor here, and it was easy to pass through unnoticed. The alleyways were so dark, that I could barely see my hand in front of my face.

I know what I was doing was dangerous… Katara's concern earlier about the assassination attempts seemed to reawaken the danger in my mind. But it was even more dangerous to keep myself blind to the world. I had to do this for the good of my nation, as well as for my own protection, in a sense.

Suddenly, I stopped. I could hear slight vibrations in the air. Someone nearby was talking quietly, probably in the next alley over. My instincts suddenly kicked in, telling me that this was important.

I quietly climbed up on top of the roof of the nearest house. Crawling, I pushed myself closer and closer to the edge. Peeking over the roof, I saw two men, right below me. They didn't see me, but I couldn't get any closer without clearly revealing myself, and I was just too far away to hear what they were saying.

Occasionally, I could distinguish a word here and there in their conversation. I strained my ears to listen.

"… ….. Lord ….. .. … Avatar … .. ….. .. Lotus … … princess."

"Do you get the feeling that we're being watched? I feel uneasy…" Oh know, they knew. They hadn't seen me yet, but I couldn't move while they were suspicious or they'd notice.

"Yeah, I'm feeling it too. Let's go inside…"

He turned and entered a door a few houses down, with the other man quickly following. Once the door had closed, I began moving again. I made my way over to the house, but I couldn't hear anything from the roof now. Looking around, I saw that the alley was deserted, and would probably stay that way. I lowered myself to the ground, and leaned up against the wall right next to the window. I felt horribly exposed.

Quietly, I nudged at the window, prying it open slightly. Luckily for me, it wasn't locked, and made no sound.

"I'm telling you… she said wait. The plan is too risky now. There are too many factors; we need more information first."

"I've done my fair share of spying. Go ask someone else. Ask one of the guards we've turned… or the traitor… she's given us plenty of information so far."

"You know I don't trust her… even if she is part of the u.s.e.c. With how close she is to Zuko, you can't help but think that he knows everything."

My eyes widened upon hearing my name.

"I promise you, that if you do this for me, I'll…"

*Thud*

"What was that?"

I stared.

Less than an inch from my face was a large knife that was embedded deep in the wood. Coming to my senses, I threw myself backwards, crouching, and looked to where the knife had come from.

I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. There, on top of the roof of the house opposite to the one I had been listening to, was a dark, crouched figure. The figure made as if to throw another knife, and I ran. I turned the corner, and hearing shouts from behind me, kept running until I was well outside of that section of the city.

Hiding underneath a wagon parked in the shadows, I tried to think about what had just happened. Who was that figure… and what were those men talking about? It made no sense to me, but it did fill me with anticipation and worry. Whatever it was, they were up to no good.

Once I had regained my breath, I started making my way back to the palace, trying to take advantage of every shadow as possible.

I needed to talk to Chan, my main advisor. No one knew that I had been sneaking out as the blue spirit from time to time, but now things had changed. This was big, I could tell.

I didn't stop watching over my back until I was back inside my study, with the window shut.


	7. An Old Enemy Part 1

It's been awhile since I've updated :( but I'm trying to regain my interest in continuing this story again. I want to actually finish a story this time... although I have no idea how it's going to end LOL.

So I had originally planned this as one large chapter, but I haven't even started the second section yet, and it already seemed large, so I just decided to break it up. Sorry in advance if this seems like it's long and doesn't really seem to do much.

Once again, it's from Katara's pov. I'll probably be writing this in mostly Katara's and Zuko's pov... at least for now O.O

Going to be busy next couple of days because Blizzard has complete and utter control over my life D: .....I'll try and get the next section up as soon as I can but it might take awhile. Review and I might post it earlier ;) lol jk

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I groaned and stretched, trying to force myself awake. The bed I had been sleeping in was almost too comfortable. As I stretched, I looked around the room I had been given yesterday. It was one of the royal guest bedrooms, and hadn't been used in quite some time. The maids had to clean and prepare them for us, which had taken some time.

It was certainly a luxurious room, and for some reason, I suspected that special care had been given to mine. I had briefly glanced in to Aang's room as I had made my way to mine. His was certainly nice, but lacked the extravagance that had been given to mine. My entire room was filled with colors, predominantly blues and reds. It was a beautiful clash of two very different colors. Strategically placed furniture and various wall-hung paintings further added to the beauty. There was a shelf stacked with scrolls and a few leather-bound books by the far side of the room, as well as a huge comfortable chair. I hadn't really looked at them yet, but I guessed that many of them were about the military and other boring subjects that had been allowed through the cultural reformation that was known as the One-Hundred-Year War. Maybe sometime, I would check out the library here in the palace. Surely Zuko had tried to import more knowledge that had previously been banned, as well as encourage an increase in culture in the Fire Nation.

Also on the far side of the room by the comfy chair was a giant window, overlooking the royal courtyard. During my last visit, Zuko had actually confided in me with some old secrets and memories. There was a small pond in the middle of the courtyard, which housed a few animals, including a family of Turtle-Ducks that he had grown fond of. Besides from being cute, I couldn't find any personal meaning or attachment to them. It was funny how he could be so calm and relaxed most of the time, and then become so emotional over such simple things.

I regretfully slipped out of the warm bed, and lightly stepped over to open the window and look outside. In the far distance, the sun was just starting to reach over the horizon, spreading a few rays of light in to the courtyard. The pond and the dew-soaked flora were reflecting the sunlight, giving it a certain majestic look. I sighed, briefly lost in my memories.

Back during my childhood, I had certainly never expected my life to turn in this direction. Living as personal guests to the Fire Lord, sleeping in his own palace… my whole life, I had grown up hating everything to do with the Fire Nation. It had been so deeply engrained in our learning that it had never been questioned. But now, this land doesn't seem so bad to me. The palace, the comfortingly warm weather, the shops and stalls in the city; it almost felt like it was a second home to me now.

A gentle breeze tugged at my face, bringing me back to awareness. Slipping away from the window, I went through the door leading in to my own personal bathroom, complete with a tub that could be filled with heated water coming from the complex piping system found here. Not even Ba Sing Se could compete with the technological advancements that the Fire Nation had created. I twisted the knob, and a steady stream of warm water poured in to the tub. Next to the tub, I found a container of some sticky substance, that when mixed with the water, created a sweet-smelling fragrance. I poured in a small amount, and used my bending to mix it with the water.

Once the tub was filled, I twisted the knob back in to place, cutting the flow of water. Stripping myself of my sleeping garments, I slowly submerged myself. I sighed as I laid my head back against the tub. Yes… this definitely seemed like a second home to me.

Briefly, a thought occurred to me. What if I stayed here… forever? It was so nice and relaxing here, all of my troubles and worries could just melt away from something as simple as taking a bath. After my journeys around the world, I found that when I returned home, I could barely bring myself return to the life I previously had and loved. Everything there seemed so boring and uneventful, not to mention irritating. But then I thought about Zuko, and I didn't want to cause him additional stress. He was already working day and night. Still though, it was a nice idea…

Once I was done cleaning myself, I stepped out of the tub. Ignoring the towels hung on the wall, I simply waterbended the moisture off me, discarding it behind. The stone tiles beneath me felt cold on my bare feet. I quickly hopped over to a closet, which I found was filled with Fire Nation clothes. All of it was entirely devoid of blue, but I quickly got over it. Might as well blend in again. It seemed like a nice day, so I slipped in to a small silk skirt, and a simple sleeveless shirt.

Maybe I could convince the others to go explore the shopping area today. I know Sokka would be willing to go with me; it had been over ten years since we had last explored here, and so much had probably changed. Aang would take more convincing though. I briefly laughed at the idea of dragging Zuko with us, but quickly sobered when I remembered his enormous work load.

Quickly doing my hair, I bounded outside the bathroom, excited about today. Walking over to the door leading outside my room, I wrenched it open, and nearly stumbled in to a very surprised guard. Looking down the hall, I saw several other guards standing outside Aang and Sokka's rooms.

"Ummm…. Yes?" I asked him, curious as to why they were there.

"Nothing to worry about, Lady Katara. We are simply standing guard here."

"I see…" frowning at my new title. "For what reason, may I ask?"

"Fire Lord Zuko's demand. It was brought to his attention that there was a security risk, and he does not wish to take chances." He coolly replied.

Well this was going to ruin my day, I could already tell.

"Where can I find… Fire Lord… Zuko…?" I asked sourly.

"Fire Lord Zuko would usually either be in his study or eating breakfast in the dining room at this time of day… um… but his study is off-limits, you should know. Not even his personal servants are allowed to enter on a regular basis."

Frowning, I pushed past him, and knocked on Aang's door. Hearing no answer, I waited a few moments before knocking again, but no one ever answered. Well if Aang was still asleep, then Sokka definitely was too.

I ended up walking to the dining room by myself, quickly taking off before one of the guards would ask if they could escort me. It took a while to find my way through the palace, it had seemed like so long ago that I was last here, and my memory was a bit jaded. After a few wrong turns, I eventually found my way through.

I sighed with relief when I spotted Zuko inside the dining room. He was sitting by himself, with a pair of servants watching from another set of doors presumably leading in to the kitchens. There was a plate full of untouched food in front of him, and he seemed to be sleeping, his head buried in his arms on the table.

I made my way closer, and tentatively sat down in the chair next to him. As I sat down, he seemed to jump, as if just noticing I was there. His hair was loose and falling down across his face; usually it was tied up in his royal head-piece, but he had seemed to forget it. I would have thought it looked good on him, but then I noticed just how exhausted he seemed to be. Dark black marks hung underneath his eyes, which he could barely keep open. Now that he was sitting up, I saw that his normally perfect military posture had disappeared, and he was slouching.

"Good morning Katara…" He croaked out, his voice cracking. Looking surprised at himself, he quickly cleared his throat.

"You look terrible." It was the only thing I could think to say.

"Thanks…" He pretended to act hurt, but I saw the smirk on his face.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I woke up, there were some guards outside our rooms. They said that there had been some sort of _security risk_. And why are you so tired… you look worse than yesterday!" I exclaimed.

"Well… I certainly feel worse than yesterday…" He smiled, and then started to stare at me, as if he was judging me, or deciding whether or not to tell me something.

"You're still dodging my question…"

"Well… ok. Last night… wait, do you promise not to tell anyone this? Not without my permission?"

I nodded.

"Ok, I was… uhhh… _wandering_ around the poorer, seedy part of town late last night…"

"You were what?" I interrupted. "What about all those assassination attempts you mentioned yesterday? Isn't this kind of… you know… dangerous? Especially for the ruler of the Fire Nation… possibly the most important person in the world right now…"

"It needed to be done. And while I was _wandering_, I overheard something important."

"So you were snooping. Some _Fire Lord_ you are…" I laughed.

"Hey…!" He grinned. I hadn't really seen him grinning or laughing at all. It transformed him entirely… he looked… handsome… so unlike his gloomy depressed self that he was always hiding behind.

"It was necessary. It's not my fault that my ancestors so deeply engrained war and violence in to the minds of their citizens."

"Is that what this _security risk_ is about then? You're afraid of some sort of violent uprising?"

"Well, in a way… yes. But it's more complicated than that."

Just then, the door opened, and Aang walked inside. Seeing me and Zuko sitting alone, together, he raised an eyebrow at me. It hit me as I remembered how Aang had that crush on me during the end of the war. Was it still possible that he felt some sort of attraction?

"Your knocking woke me up…" He said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Sorry… come sit down."

"And what's with all the guards?" He mentioned, while making his way over to us.

"I've been asking the same thing." I looked back to Zuko.

"Okay okay… last night, I overheard a conversation that I think was about me. I think they were planning another assassination attempt."

The room was silent for a minute.

"Well… how serious of an attempt do you think this is?" Aang asked.

"I don't know." Zuko admitted. "But I've heard enough to cause me a fair amount of worry."

The door to the hallway squeaked open again. We all turned, expecting to see Sokka this time, but instead, it was Mai. However, upon seeing all of us sitting at the table together, she quickly turned and fled.

"That was weird…" Aang quietly said. I turned back to Zuko, who looked distracted after the unusual encounter.

"Zuko?"

"What…? Oh yeah… right. So I overheard them mention _'princess'_ when they were talking. I think that my sister is somehow involved in this. She is being held in the Boiling Rock, so I haven't been able to really keep an eye on her…" He looked distracted again.

"I need to go." He suddenly declared. "There is something I need to do. I should hopefully be back by tonight." He made his way to the door.

Right before disappearing on the other side, he turned back towards us. "Please stay inside the palace today… it's for your own safety." Then he left.

Frustrated, I threw my hands up in the air. My day was surely ruined now.

"Well… what is there to do _in_ the palace?" I heard Aang ask hopefully.

"Nothing…" I dully replied.


End file.
